Everything, Everywhere, Just Travel

Yes, i love travelling but it does not mean i spend all my money on travelling. I try to allocate budget and see the different countries.
I have travelled all over the continent except Australia.
Have you been to Far east: Thailand, Singapore  etc.

Are you a tourist in Iran?

dianamiller wrote:

do you spend your money on travel all over the world?

Pretty much.  It's the top priority in our life.

I travelled a lot when I was young and adventurous.
But after a while I noticed that, by just visiting countries, I merely scratch the surface and never gain a real understanding of the places I saw.
So I started living and working in various countries.
Since this is so much preferable, I more or less stopped travelling (except on business trips). You need at least a year to get a basic idea of how a place works and how its people think.
I lived in 6 countries for at least a year, many more were visited for shorter durations.
Now, being older and having a family, I settled in one and stopped moving around.

Used to travel a lot - both business and personal.   

Literally, it used to be 3-4 international business trips a month and then I used to travel for holiday as well.  It was literally crazy but the benefit was that since I had reached the top most tier for most airline and hotel programs with crazy miles accumulation, my holidays used to be almost free.  I had an almost instant induction in the Emirates Skywards Platinum tier the moment it came out and would renew it quite easily in much less than a year - to give you an idea how much I travelled.

Nowadays, I don't fly as much.  From the 50 odd flights a year, I am now down to a more reasonable, but still respectable 10-12.  Roughly 60% is business travel and 40% is personal.  I do spend quite a lot of money on travel as when I am on holiday, after many years working in the corporate grind, I do want to relax without any hassle so that generally means business class / 5 star hotels on even personal travel.  Plus am a bit spoiled after having travelled business / first on the corporate dollar for the last decade or so

Over the years, I have had the opportunity to live and work in many countries and as beppi mentioned, I picked up the real flavour of the place after living there which was not apparent to me during my many visits.

i love travelling and i have lived in different countries to know people and culture there. lived in 6 coutries. i love to explore different countries closely. i work, earn and spend on travelling. the journey is still continue.

My opinion is very positive - espcially since I deal with Language Travel 

and Yes, this is a great way both to explore the world, and to learn a new language, that you can yese for years afterwards ....

Do you have favourite destinations ?

You need at least a year to get a basic idea of how a place works and how its people think. [Beppi]
Well, yes and no, Beppi. Of course you have to settle in a place for quite a while, and learn the local language if it's foreign to you, to get a good idea of how its people think. But not everybody can afford to devote the time to that. In my travels as a young man I acquired a rough idea of how the locals thought in a much shorter time than a year. I travelled poor, and stayed in slums, and that gave me an insight that I would not otherwise have gotten. I didn't mix much with the middle classes - who (it seemed to me) were westernised enough to have been in retreat from their fellow-nationals' culture. Aloof, in a sense.

I may be kidding myself, but these fifty years later I can conclude that my instincts were pretty much correct. What do you reckon? Here are a couple of sample "reports" of mine, telling of two isolated incidents from those days that may give just a slight taste of what I'm talking about:-
http://barlowscayman.blogspot.com/2012/ … uwait.htmlhttp://barlowscayman.blogspot.com/2012/ … -t-10.html

Gordon Barlow wrote:

You need at least a year to get a basic idea of how a place works and how its people think. [Beppi]
Well, yes and no, Beppi. Of course you have to settle in a place for quite a while, and learn the local language if it's foreign to you, to get a good idea of how its people think. But not everybody can afford to devote the time to that. In my travels as a young man I acquired a rough idea of how the locals thought in a much shorter time than a year. I travelled poor, and stayed in slums, and that gave me an insight that I would not otherwise have gotten. I didn't mix much with the middle classes - who (it seemed to me) were westernised enough to have been in retreat from their fellow-nationals' culture. Aloof, in a sense.

I may be kidding myself, but these fifty years later I can conclude that my instincts were pretty much correct. What do you reckon? Here are a couple of sample "reports" of mine, telling of two isolated incidents from those days that may give just a slight taste of what I'm talking about:-
http://barlowscayman.blogspot.com/2012/ … uwait.htmlhttp://barlowscayman.blogspot.com/2012/ … -t-10.html

Agreed with everything you have written.
But isn’t the backbone of a country is its middle class? Not the poorest, no?

Abe123 wrote:

Agreed with everything you have written.
But isn’t the backbone of a country is its middle class? Not the poorest, no?

Yes, you're right. But it's usually the poor and uneducated who keep the old traditions alive. The middle class in any community has a strong tendency to adopt new ideas from other cultures. Clean sheets, for instance! And what the US Presidents calls "shit-holes"!

I have very fond memories of France, and I love all things French. I've never lived there, but I'm reasonably confident that I understand the French character - as evidenced by this short illustration. As I wrote at the link below, "It’s hard to generalise about a nation of fifty million, but by and large the French are a practical people". Practical is not a word that's usually applied to the French, but I think - I think - it's an appropriate word for them.
https://barlowscayman.blogspot.com/2013 … ffair.html

Traveling is a luxury not a necessity.
You need to set your responsibility and priorities straight at first if you can manage to do so and still can afford a vacation or a little getaway go for it
We all need to unwind from time to another

absolutely correct

I absolutely love travel

But yes it’s a luxury

Travel is good to places where people are friendly and easily interact with each other, ready to share time and smiles.
Traveling to unfriendly places, having arrogant people is a pain in itself....lolz

It can be considered as  luxury only when you are spending too much on it. Normal few trips in a year here and there ( mostly locally) will not cost you a fortune.

More you travel more you learn. Of course its not a need like a food, but it gives a wider view. We need to save some money for our personal development.

Absolutely love travel and would love to do more of it but constrained by expenses

But yes I’ve spent a lot on travel!

No regrets, it’s always been awesome!

Hibbah wrote:

Traveling is a luxury not a necessity.
You need to set your responsibility and priorities straight at first if you can manage to do so and still can afford a vacation or a little getaway go for it
We all need to unwind from time to another

carolegotze wrote:

absolutely correct

Niki0605 wrote:

yes it’s a luxury

Some people think travel is a luxury, others see it as a necessity.

What most people call a necessity can be seen as a luxury to others.

A great majority of people in many countries think TV, cable, smartphone, a good car for each working adult in the family, and a drink/dinner out/get-together with friends are necessities. 

We haven't had a TV nor have we needed cable since the year 2000 (the number of times I watched TV in the last 19 years can be counted on one hand).  The one car that we shared, when we still needed it to go to work, was 18 years old at the time.  We didn't have a smartphone until 20 years after it first appeared on the market, and we only had one because it was a gift, together with the monthly phone bill.  We didn't eat out, our entertainment expense was practically zero.

We didn't deny ourselves of those "necessities"; they simply were not necessities to us.

OTOH, all the money that most people spent on their necessities every month became our travel fund.  To us, having a TV (or watching TV) is not a necessity but travel definity is.  We don't travel because we want to unwind or because we can afford a vacation.  We travel because it's the one inherent need that we cannot ignore. 

Travel is our priority.

Travel is an experience like no other !!


Don’t invest in buying things, invest in acquiring Experiences !


It’s life changing !

An opinion that I completely respect

At the end it matters that how many stories (travel and experience) you have to tell , not stuff (materialistic things) to show.

nileshtks wrote:

At the end it matters that how many stories (travel and experience) you have to tell , not stuff (materialistic things) to show.

No, not even that, Nile. Not how many stories and experiences you have to tell, but what effect those experiences have had on your judgments and general world-view.

Too true Gordon. 

Niki0605 wrote:

Travel is an experience like no other !!


Don’t invest in buying things, invest in acquiring Experiences !


It’s life changing !

You can buy things that gives you happiness, especially something that is beautiful, durable and can be passed on to your children and grand children. This is how civilisation has evolved.
The Phoenicians brought their bronze items from Lebanon to the other end of the Mediterranean, and sold them to the Amazigh and the Greeks ..... And in cases when they were equipped with enough means, they bought a piece of land and settled!

Thanks for answer.
yes 2 years ago i visited Thailand and i really like there .
as soon as possiblei visit there again.

my favorite destination is Asia .

Mine too..Especialy South East Asia..

thank you all for answer my question.
regards

fthtpz wrote:

Mine too..Especialy South East Asia..

Yes. Especially the cuisine .......... OMG.
North African cuisine is so dismal in comparison!

Hi everyone,

If you need some information about traveling to East Java, I would like to share some informations based on my experience when I lived and worked there.

Currently, I live in Jakarta. But I would like to share some informations with you.

It is very interesting to backpacking to some destinations in East Java, such as Bromo, Malang, or new favorite tourism city: Banyuwangi (I had lived and worked in Banyuwangi for 2 years, what a wonderful experience).

Have a good day!

Cheers,
Lukman Hanz

lukman.hanafi wrote:

Hi everyone,

If you need some information about traveling to East Java, I would like to share some informations based on my experience when I lived and worked there.

Currently, I live in Jakarta. But I would like to share some informations with you.

It is very interesting to backpacking to some destinations in East Java, such as Bromo, Malang, or new favorite tourism city: Banyuwangi (I had lived and worked in Banyuwangi for 2 years, what a wonderful experience).

Have a good day!

Cheers,
Lukman Hanz

There should be a tour that shows the migration of Hindu and Buddhist population in Java and Bali. Starting in Jogjakarta and Magelang, to Bromo, to Banyuwangi, then cross to Denpasar and Tampaksiring and Ubud ...... If so desired people could stay at the various Aman accommodations along the way, visits all temples, and sample the best local cuisine in each town. That would be super fab!

I love travelling, and travelled a lot, but mostly in or around Shenzhen, not overseas. Travel is a happy thing, which relax me and get me out of everyday chaos. If anyone living in Shenzhen who also like travelling, feel free to message me. I'm always looking for short trip partners.

Of course

I like travel. I have spent quite a sum for all my previous trips, but I couldn't afford to not have an income while doing so. Budgeting is of utmost importance, but that didn't take away the joy out of doing it.

I travel mostly for work. I love to experience other cultures, but the more I work, the less I experience. I need to travel more for leisure. To do so requires more working. This is the paradox.

Adding more to my previous post, I think travel is like knowing yourself. That sounds romantic, but not my intention. At first you want to see everything, eventually you accept that you can't and just pick activities or destinations that are in line with what you like. There's room to try more things -- I'd be down to occasionally do activities related to this -- but you learn to screen and spend your money on things that you know you will appreciate.

On another forum on another expat website, there is an interesting distinction being made between 'travel' and 'tourism', and therefore between travellers and tourists. The consensus is that tourism is staying in comfortable hotels and travelling as a group, and 'travelling' is travelling "close to the ground" (so to speak) and cheaply and adventurously. I think it's a useful distinction. Does anybody else?

7 Vacations annually for the past 3 years while getting paid to do it. Life has never been the same. Truly loving it and get to world school my nephews and nieces was an amazing experience.

Gordon, I agree to the distinction (if not the wording - „travel“ includes all moving from place to place).
I think individual tourists (as I would call them) are more harmful, because they spoil places out of the beaten track and are trailblazers of the mass tourists (who only spoil known places further).
It is a real irony that most individual tourists do so because they abhor the harm done by mass tourism ...
That said, I travelled in the same way for years (until I found that you need to live somewhere for at least 6-12 months before you gain a basic understanding of a place - now I hardly ever travel, except on business or to entertain the kids).